Viva Viagra (In Virginia)

Tax dollars to cover bedroom boost

Receive the latest health updates in your inbox

Viagra and similar drugs will continue to be covered for state workers under Virginia's new state budget.

They may be seeing red, but that is not stopping them from getting their little blue pills.

It took Virginia lawmakers a lot longer than four hours, but over the weekend they passed a brutal budget.

It includes major cuts to state services and public education. But it also includes medical coverage for treatments of erectile dysfunction for employees, according to the Washington Examiner.

Former Gov. Tim Kaine had proposed making state workers pay out of pocket for such drugs, but the legislature resurrected the coverage plan.

At least one lawmaker disagreed.

"I see no reason why that was included," Republican Delegate Bob Marshall told the Examiner. "If people want this, they can pay for these drugs themselves. I don't think it's something the Virginia taxpayers should be paying for, period."

According to the Examiner, eliminating coverage for Viagra and similar drugs would have saved the Commonwealth about $3 million per year.